


Hiding in his Shell

by TriscuitsandSoup



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Comfort, Fluff, M/M, Morality | Patton Sanders is a Good Friend, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 06:01:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23990020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TriscuitsandSoup/pseuds/TriscuitsandSoup
Summary: What a trip to the Aquarium looks like through Virgil Sanders eyes.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Virgil Sanders/Patton Sanders
Comments: 3
Kudos: 34





	Hiding in his Shell

There were few public places in the world where Virgil felt at peace. This place, this noisy, crowded place should not have been one of them. When they walked through the gates alongside the gaggle of noisy, screaming children, he wanted to crawl out of his skin. The smell of popcorn and cotton candy made Patton squeal, and Roman was busy posing ‘heroically’ next to the cardboard cutout of a lion. 

He waited, patiently, with his back pressed firmly against the wall of the entryway for the group to get their snack or photo, or whatever it was they wanted. Some days it was harder than others but today he knew it would be worth it. 

He spoke up. 

They didn’t comment when he put his headphones in to dull the noise or gazed longingly towards the water exhibits. He busied himself admiring the flowers, watching the pigeons peck and scratch at the popcorn kernels scattered around the park. 

When it was time to move on someone - probably Logan - took his sleeve and gently tugged him towards the next area. 

Virgil looked up just to confirm his suspicions. Logan was already looking away, but he kept careful hold of Virgil’s sleeve as he pulled him through the crowd and into the aquatics area. They passed - quickly - through the insect section and into the dark, dimly lit halls lined with tanks on all sides. 

After a couple of seconds, Virgil took off his earbuds and rolled them up into his pockets. 

Here, the world had gone silent. The noisy sounds of children gave way to the calming songs of orcas playing from the loudspeakers overhead. Even Roman had momentarily ceased his shouts to stare at the otters, playfully swimming back and forth in their enclosure. 

“Where’s Patton?” Virgil asked, his voice momentarily rising. He scanned the area. There were much fewer people, but no Patton to be seen. 

Logan released his sleeve and looked away from the informational tablet that preoccupied him. 

“He wanted to get something from the gift shop. I told him we could find it cheaper-” 

Logan’s words droned out. Of course. The gift shop.

“Thank you,” Virgil said with a deep breath. 

Logan nodded and went back to reading the plate. 

Virgil’s shoulders relaxed. He finally looked around the room in earnest, although he’d seen it a million times. There were blue and green fish painted on the ground to guide their way. Checking, one more time, that Logan and Roman were safe he hesitantly started to follow the path. As he did, he gripped his phone in his pocket, knowing they were only a phone call or text away. 

The pathway led to a narrow tunnel composed entirely of glass. Hundreds of fish swam around it, including several giant sharks. 

Virgil found an open space on a bench in the middle of the tunnel. He sat down and drew his knees to his chest, letting the orca calls wash over him. Sitting there, in the middle of the shark tunnel, his eyes watching the hammerheads glide overhead, he felt momentarily safe.

He felt like he could breathe in this noisy, messy world. He sat there for what felt like hours but was closer to fifteen or twenty minutes. 

Patton sat down next to him. He was holding a large, stuffed penguin, eyes gleaming in the dull blue lights. His usual cardigan had been replaced by a dolphin onesie Virgil bought him specifically for the trip. He was the only one who’s squeals didn’t make him want to run away. 

“Hey,” Virgil said. 

“Hey kiddo, I got you something.” 

Virgil didn’t say anything. He knew it would be some stuffed or knitted thing of a shark, or tarantula - if Patton could stomach it - or any other misunderstood creature. 

Instead, and with a cartoonish flourish, Patton pulled a large, purple sea turtle plush out from behind his penguin. 

“It’s purple, just like your jacket!” Patton said with the widest of grins. 

There were a million things he could have said. A million jokes about ‘shells’ he could have made. But he didn’t. 

“That’s cool, I guess,” Virgil said. He ducked his head to hide his flickering smile and took the purple toy. It had large wide eyes and a silly grin on its face. The fur that made up its body and shell was soft underneath his fingertips. 

“Ah. You were right, Patton. That is within several hues of Virgil’s jacket.” He almost missed Logan walking up from behind. “Although, technically it’s more of a magenta then-” 

“Oh look, now Roman is talking,” Roman said from behind him. 

“Thank you, Roman,” Logan said with a sigh.

Virgil hugged the sea turtle to his chest. He kept expecting someone to say something, someone to make the obvious joke, but it never came. 

Instead, Logan sat beside Patton, and Roman took a spot beside him. They all watched the fish glide in their aquarium. 

This was all Virgil had wanted. It had taken days for him to voice it. _I want to visit the aquarium. I want to watch the sharks. I want you with me._ Three sentences and he’d only managed to say the first one.

Somehow, they knew the rest.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked. If you did please leave a comment. You can follow my Sanders Sides tumblr [Here](https://sanderssifle.tumblr.com) or my main tumblr [Here](https://Triscuitsandsoup.tumblr.com)


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